One of the most famous sailing classics, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, organized since 1968 by the Royal Malta Yacht Club in cooperation with the Royal Ocean Racing Club, has come to an end. This year, 112 yachts from 29 countries embarked on the 606-mile course from Malta around Sicily.
This year’s classic saw 77 yachts complete the race, while 35 withdrew from the competition. The sailors encountered a wide range of conditions, from storms and very strong squalls to light, variable winds. It was a very challenging test of skill for the crews and a test of endurance for all the yachts.
“We had a great race. There was a bit of anticipation on what to expect from such a small, 30-foot boat, but we had a really great race, and we cannot believe that we made it work. We knew that we were sailing almost a dinghy, and wondered how we would handle it, particularly the squall on the first day. We are surprised at how well that went and had growing confidence in the boat from a seamanship aspect,” said Ripard.
“The weather was incredible; three hours after the start, we had a storm like I’ve never seen before, with wind speeds over 50 knots, which came within a few seconds,” said Géry Trentesaux, skipper of “Long Courrier.”
“We were sailing downwind with a large spinnaker set and surfing. Then the storm hit, and for ten minutes we were knocked down. We were lucky not to break the yacht and could start again.” “This was my seventh race. It was a typical incredible Rolex Middle Sea Race. Wind up to 60 knots in a storm, the fastest crossing of the Strait of Messina thanks to a 6-knot current, normal light wind, and good yachts around us. There was intense competition throughout the regatta,” said Carl-Peter Forster, skipper of “Red Bandit.”
Winners of the 2024 Rolex Middle Sea Race:
- “Red Bandit,” TP52, skipper Carl-Peter Forster (GER) – Overall winner in IRC classification
- “Scallywag 100,” Dovell Custom, skipper David Witt (HKG) – Monohull Line Honours
- “Marina 21,” First 36, Milan Kolacek and Milan Tomek (CRO) – Winner in Double-Handed IRC classification
- “Kuka 3,” Cookson 50, Franco Niggeler (SUI) – Boccale del Mediterraneo Trophy ORC
Credit photos: Rolex Middle Sea Race